wrongful death

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A cause of action for civil damages based on a wrongful act or negligence that caused the death of a family member of the plaintiff.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a death that results from a wrongful act or from negligence; a death that can serve as the basis for a civil action for damages on behalf of the dead person's family or heirs